A Task
by hidingunderblankets
Summary: Pikachu asks Wolf to solve a Rubik's cube for him. But when the deadline comes... I think I'll do this another time.


In the Sea of Clouds, Pikachu climbed a large cloud. He'd been venturing up the puffs of white since daybreak in search of a certain Fighter. Countless clouds later, he still hadn't found him. He felt like he was about to pass out.

Finishing his ascent, he rolled on to the cloud and breathed heavily. Of all the clouds he'd climbed today, this was one of the hardest. He stared at the cloudy sky as he caught his breath, thinking to himself how much more of this he'd have to do until he found the Fighter.

Looking to his right, he spotted who he was looking for. Sitting on the edge of the cloud was Wolf O'Donnell. He gazed at the clouds that swiftly floated by with crossed arms. Pikachu got on his feet and made his way over to the anthro.

"Pika!" he shouted. Wolf heard him and rose his head. He then heard Pikachu's trademark sprinting sound. He turned around to see the Pokémon approach him and bend over, panting.

"What's wrong with you?" Wolf asked as he stood up and faced the critter.

"Pika pi! Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu hollered as he waved his arms in the air. That was when Wolf remembered he didn't speak Pokémon.

"Hold on a second," he requested as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a silver collar with a small green light on it. He crouched and fastened the collar around Pikachu's neck. Once it was on, the green light shined. Wolf erected himself and crossed his arms again. "Alright, now what were you saying?"

"Yeah I forgot about the collar again," Pikachu said in a gangster's voice. "Alright, back to what I was going to say. I was wondering if you could help me out with something. But it will probably keep you busy for like the next two weeks. It's not that big of a task though, so stick with me," Pikachu expounded. Wolf gave him his full attention.

"What is it?" he asked. Pikachu reached behind him and dug around in his unseen back pocket. Wolf waited for a minute before Pikachu removed a Rubik's cube from the pocket. The Pokémon handed it to Wolf and he checked each side of it. The cube was incomplete.

"Oh, one of these things," Wolf said as he looked at Pikachu.

"It's Jigglypuff's, she can't complete and it's really making her mad. And you know how I am when she's mad. I told her I'd finish it for her while she spends the next couple weeks visiting her family back in the Pokémon realm. But... I..."

Wolf grinned devilishly as Pikachu lowered his head. He couldn't help but pity the Fighter – he could only imagine the look on Jigglypuff's face when she came back to learn that her precious Pikachu had failed his task. He examined the Rubik's cube again as he held it on opposite points with a claw.

_Just because I feel bad for the little guy..._

Wolf shifted his focus back on Pikachu.

"Don't worry, I got it," he assured him.

"Yo for real?" Pikachu asked loudly as he looked at Wolf with widened eyes.

"I've finished a few of these little guys before. Shouldn't be too much," Wolf explained as he spun the cube with his fingers.

"Thank you, man! This thing means a lot to me! Okay, so like I said, two weeks from now. You think you can handle it?" Pikachu asked.

"I think I can get it done," Wolf replied as he began to mosey around.

"Alright, good luck! Don't fail me, please!" Pikachu exclaimed as he scurried off.

Wolf began solving the cube. Not even ten seconds later, he managed to move a few green squares over to the correct side. The anthro smiled and laughed lightly as he walked off.

"I can definitely finish this in two weeks."

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Pikachu had Wolf complete Jigglypuff's Rubik's cube. Pikachu had gotten up early to visit Wolf. He figured he could find him in the local Fighter's Lounge, a place where Fighters could crash. Knowing Wolf never strayed too far from the Sea of Clouds, he felt sure he'd find him there.

He stopped at the lounge's front door and pulled out his translation collar. He secured it around his neck as he entered and shut the door behind him. Scanning the room, he saw a human man at the front desk, resting. He snored softly.

Pikachu approached the desk. He was too short for the man to notice him. He began hopping.

"Hey!" he said with each leap. After jumping and calling a good ten times, he knew he wasn't getting anywhere.

Pikachu cast a thunder bolt at the man. The shock was far more than enough to awaken him. He screamed as the voltage left him paralyzed. When it ceased, he fell back in his chair, burnt and smoking. Pikachu put a finger on his chin.

"Maybe I should have used something weaker?" he asked himself.

"Can I help you with something?" the man asked weakly as he sat in his chair, staring forward. The shock's paralysis still affected him, even after the attack. He spoke with an accent.

"I was just wondering if Wolf O'Donnell is checked in?" Pikachu inquired of the man. The human shakily rose an arm, pointing at the hall to his right.

"Second floor, room 17-B. It's to the right of the window at the end of the hall," he instructed.

"Thank you, my good man!" Pikachu thanked the man with a wave as he got moving. The man moaned as his chair leaned to the side, then fell to the ground.

"Any time," he said back.

Pikachu did as the man had said. He took the elevator to the second floor and entered a hallway. At the end of the hall was a curtained window. He walked down the hall and turned right as he reached the window. He faced a door and read its label – room 17-B.

He knocked on the door, but ended up pushing it open slightly. That was when Pikachu realized that the door was ajar.

"It's open?"

He cautiously opened the door and peeked inside. Scanning the room, he found the place a mess. People slept on the floor and furniture. Cups, plates and bottles laid everywhere. The large stereo system in the back played a dance tune. Next to that, the DJ laid on his equipment, asleep and drooling with his headphones still on.

Pikachu entered the room. He stepped over people and garbage as he searched for Wolf. He wanted to shout his name but he feared something would happen if he awoke the slumbering people. He kept as quiet as he could as he made his way inside.

He reached the bed and finally found Wolf. The Fighter slept alone, snoring with his mouth wide open. He had no shirt on and someone had drawn a smiley face on the glass of his eye patch in black. Pikachu tripped over people and junk as he rushed over to him. When he did, he climbed on the bed and hovered over the Lylatian.

"Hey," Pikachu whispered as he nudged Wolf. "Hey man, wake up." Wolf turned away from Pikachu, mumbling. Pikachu grew annoyed and grunted. He scanned his surroundings and spotted a punch bowl on the nightstand, halfway filled with fruit punch. He grabbed the bowl and held it high in the air. He dumped its contents on Wolf. "Wake up!"

Wolf awoke and shot up. He looked at Pikachu angrily and gave him daggers.

"Dang, do I have to wake up everyone today?" Pikachu complained as he threw the bowl aside.

"What the heck?" Wolf asked angrily.

"Well you wouldn't wake up, so I had to do things the hard way," Pikachu explained as he crossed his arms.

"Whatever... What do you want?"

"Oh you know what I want."

"I don't."

"Man you can't be serious, the Rubik's cube!"

Wolf looked elsewhere as he remembered the cube task. He got on his feet and stepped off the bed. Pikachu followed him as he trod through the messy room and entered the bathroom.

Pikachu waited outside – he didn't want to know what it was like in there. Not after a party like this. He occupied himself with a DS he found on nearby human. A few minutes later, he heard footsteps and looked up to see Wolf stumble out of the bathroom. In his hands was the Rubik's cube. He tossed it over to Pikachu and he caught it with one of his hands. Examining it, he found it halfway complete.

"What the heck is this?" Pikachu yelled sharply as he glared at Wolf, showing him the Rubik's cube. "You said you could finish it!"

Wolf gawked at Pikachu as he scratched his back.

"Whoops," he said.

"What do you mean whoops? You said you could finish it! What the heck have you been doing these past two weeks?" Pikachu demanded loudly, not caring if he woke up the people around him. His volume did, and they stared at him, dumbfounded.

Wolf thought back at what had happened in the past two weeks. He remembered trying to solve the cube, but something else always came up. He recalled passing up the cube for a chance to smack Fox in his sleep with a handful of whipped cream. He also recalled noticing the cube as he left for the gym with a friend and said that he'd work on it later. He then remembered returning home hours later and headed straight to bed. Lastly, he recalled trying to finish it yesterday. But then he got visited by a mob of his fans who wanted to throw a party for him. He remembered saying that he could squeeze it in during midnight. But he never did.

Wolf, still influenced from the beverages he drank last night, giggled lightly as he looked away. Pikachu grew more angrier and growled. He threw the cube at Wolf, hitting him in the side of his face. He grabbed where it hit him and hissed in pain.

"Don't you space out on me! You think you can just..." Suddenly, something began beeping. Pikachu looked behind himself and reached into his pocket. He threw the DS on the floor and pulled out a cell phone. He flipped it open and read a text message someone had just sent him. He gasped as he finished.

"She's coming back already? Dangit!" Pikachu said to himself as he ran over to the Rubik's cube and picked it up. He gave Wolf one last look and pointed at the drunken Fighter. "This isn't over! When I come back, you're as good as dead!" With that, the Pokémon left. Wolf watched him as he exited and slammed the door behind him. He scratched his head.

"What's his deal?" he wondered. He tried to decipher why, but ended up shrugging his shoulders.

Pikachu dashed down the halls as he cursed under his breath. He couldn't believe Wolf. At first he thought he was reliable in spite of being one of the villains. But after this, he regretted it heavily.

"Last time I trust someone like him. Now I wish I asked Lucario," Pikachu said to himself.

He spotted the elevator up ahead and proceeded to enter it. Suddenly, it vanished, and a large black mass replaced it. Pikachu halted.

"Hey, what happened to the elevator?" he said. He turned around and noticed that the window had vanished as well, with a black mass taking its spot. "What in This World?"

Looking around him, he noticed that the doors began vanishing as well. One by one, they vanished and left black spots. Pikachu's heartbeat sped up as he watched the world around him turn black. He began to panic as it closed in on him, and when all that was left was the floor, he screamed.

"What's happening?"

And then, everything went dark.

"Eh. I'll finish this story later," said a young man's voice, followed by the sounds of footsteps and a closing door.


End file.
